The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is the largest MMA organization in the world. Founded in 1993, the company has grown into a global phenomenon, hosting events across the globe. There are over 2,500 professional MMA fighters competing today. From the early days of the sport, these athletes have dominated the competition.
Here are the top 10 UFC fighters of all time.
10) Conor McGregor
Irish Professional Martial Artist (Born August 24th, 1994) McGregor holds the record for most UFC wins at 19-3. He’s been fighting professionally since 2008 and competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). His nickname is ‘The Notorious’ after his 2013 fight with Jose Aldo.
McGregor was born in Dublin, Ireland. His father died when he was three years old, and his mother worked two jobs to make ends meet. She eventually divorced his stepfather, who would go on to abuse her son physically and emotionally. At age 12, McGregor attempted suicide while in school and had to repeat the grade. When he started high school, McGregor was bullied relentlessly. In 2010, McGregor left home and moved to Las Vegas, where he lived with a friend. Soon thereafter, he won gold medals in freestyle wrestling and Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
McGregor became known as a professional fighter after winning amateur fights in Dublin. He then trained under the famous coach John Kavanagh. He began training in Muay Thai before turning to MMA and competing in The Ultimate Fighter series. McGregor rose to fame after scoring knockouts over Nate Diaz and Chad Mendes. After defeating Diego Brandao in May 2015, the pair fought in a bout dubbed Fight of the Year at UFC 196. McGregor submitted the Brazilian via rear-naked choke in the third round. Despite his submission loss, the fight earned him $30 million.
McGregor was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2016. Since then, McGregor has achieved success outside of the cage. He starred alongside Michael Fassbender in the 2018 film adaptation of the novel A Monster Calls. Other notable projects include directing short films and posting videos online. McGregor released his first book in 2019, called My Life Story And What Makes Me Who I Am.
McGregor is currently married to model Dee Devlin. However, their relationship is not without controversy. According to GQ magazine, McGregor cheated on Devlin with actress Arianny Celeste. Devlin filed divorce papers in January 2020, citing irreconcilable differences.
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9) José Aldo
José Aldo was born Aldo Jose Aldo Silva de Oliveira in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil on May 12, 1980. He stands at 6′ 1″, weighing around 185 pounds. In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, he is known as a competitor who throws lightning-fast strikes using his trademark reverse triangle choke. He is currently ranked number two in the UFC pound-for-pound rankings. He signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on January 31, 2006, after having competed in several promotions, including PRIDE FC, Shooto, and Jungle Fight.
He is often called ‘The Spider’ due to his unique BJJ style and is widely considered the best fighter never to have become a world champion. He is also known as the second most successful Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner, only behind Rickson Gracie, with 8 black belts under his belt. He is also known for his dedication to martial arts, earning him a spot on the United States Olympic Committee’s list of recommended athletes.
His first major success came when he won the Pan American Championships in 2004. Since then, he has gone on to win many tournaments across the globe, including winning the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship. He holds a record of 14 wins and 2 losses in MMA competition. In 2007, he became a commentator for Fox Sports, where he presents ‘Aldo vs McGregor’.
8) Amanda Nunes
Amanda Nunes was born on June 1st, 1989, in São Paulo, Brazil. She started her career as a professional MMA fighter at age 17. In 2010 she won the Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Championship (115 lbs) by defeating Marloes Coenen via TKO. Her first UFC fight came just two years later, in 2012, where she defeated Jessica Eye via unanimous decision. In 2015 she became a five-time boxing champion and won the Brazilian National Boxing Championships. She then went on to win the UFC bantamweight championship in 2016 by defeating Raquel Pennington via submission.
She currently holds the record as the current UFC women’s bantamweight champion. In 2017, she successfully defended her title against Valentina Shevchenko in Las Vegas. She also holds the record for being the youngest person ever to hold a UFC championship belt.
In 2004, at age 15, she began training at Nova União Gym in Rio de Janeiro. She soon became known as “The Lioness” due to her aggressive nature and powerful striking style. She eventually transitioned to mixed martial arts after realizing that it offered her a way out of poverty.
In 2009, Nunes became the first woman to compete in both the WEC and UFC. In 2010, she won the inaugural Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Championship. She also holds the distinction of becoming the first female competitor to defeat Miesha Tate in the UFC.
7) Khabib Nurmagomedov
Born in Dagestan, Russia, Khabib Nurmagmedov was born on April 28th, 1993. He began practicing Muay Thai at age 12 and soon became a professional fighter. In 2011 he won his first title belt in the amateur ranks, winning the Russian regional championship. After two years of training, he moved to Los Angeles, where he continued to train under renowned coach Freddie Roach. In 2013, he participated in the reality show “The Contender” and placed second. His appearance on the show helped him get noticed by UFC officials, who invited him to compete in their organization.
Khabib Nurmagamedov started competing professionally in 2016. At the time, he had only fought twice before facing off against undefeated prospect Justin Gaethje. Despite being outweighed by over 20 pounds, Nurmagomedov defeated Gaethje via TKO in the third round. Following that victory, Nurmagomedov signed a contract with the UFC. Since then, he has gone 2-0 with wins over Abel Trujillo and Dustin Poirier.
Khabib Nurmagedov is currently ranked 3 in the world by Sherdog.com and 1 in the lightweight division. He holds notable victories over Tony Ferguson, Max Holloway, Anthony Pettis, and Edson Barboza.
Nurmagomedov has been nicknamed “El Cucuy” (the Spiderman) due to his uncanny resemblance to the Marvel Comics character Spiderman. He wears a mask while fighting to protect himself from injuries, but he removed it for the fight against McGregor.
Khabib Nuragomedov has a brother named Abubakar Nurmagomedov, who is also a mixed martial artist. He competes in the flyweight division and is known as “The Eagle.”
6) Demetrious Johnson
Demetrious Johnson (born June 19, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s flyweight division. He is currently ranked 2nd in the UFC Flyweight rankings.
Johnson was born in San Diego, California, and raised in nearby National City, California. His father, Mike, played football at UC Berkeley and his mother, Debbie, was a cheerleader. Johnson began training in judo at age five and wrestling at age seven. He attended high school at John F. Kennedy High School in San Diego.
At age 16, Johnson moved to Las Vegas, where he trained under Kevin Randleman. In 2001, he won the Nevada State Wrestling Championships. After graduating from high school, Johnson attended college at the University of Hawaii, Honolulu, where he majored in sociology. While attending college, Johnson worked as a bouncer at the Hard Rock Cafe.
In 2005, Johnson turned pro after winning the WEC Pacific Northwest regional tournament. He fought primarily in Japan before signing with the UFC in 2008. Since then, he has compiled an undefeated record of 10-0. In 2011, Johnson signed a multi-fight deal with DREAM, becoming its inaugural champion. Johnson held the title until 2013, when he lost to Kyoji Horiguchi via unanimous decision.
Johnson holds notable wins over former champions Tatsuya Kawajiri, Joseph Benavidez, Ian McCall, Takanori Gomi, Yoshiro Maeda, Eddie Wineland, John Moraga, and Jim Miller. He also defeated three consecutive opponents in the first round, including two on the same night.
He has been featured in several documentaries about MMA, including “The Fighter”, “The Game Changers”, and “UFC Undisputed 3”.
5) Daniel Cormier
Daniel Cormier was born on September 2nd, 1977, in San Diego, California. He is currently living out of Las Vegas, Nevada. He is 5’9” tall and weighs about 185 pounds. His nickname is ‘DC’. He is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. He won his first title in 2008 after defeating then-champion Rashad Evans. He lost the belt in 2010 to Jon Jones. In 2011 he defeated Jones again to regain the championship. He lost the belt to Jones in 2013. He is married to Michelle McNally.
Daniel Cormier’s father was a police officer, and his mother worked at a bank. When he was young, his family moved around a lot due to his dad being transferred to different cities. He lived in San Diego, California, until he was 12 years old. He attended high school at Rancho Bernardo High School in San Diego, California, where he played football and wrestled. He graduated from high school in 1995.
After graduating high school, he went to San Diego State University, where he studied criminal justice and criminology. He was a member of the wrestling team while attending college. He graduated in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice.
While studying at SDSU, he started training under coach Mike Winkeljohn. He trained for two years before making his professional debut in 2001. He fought twice in 2002 and 2003 before leaving the sport.
After leaving the sport, he became a personal trainer. He opened his gym called DC Fitness Center in 2004. He continued working as a personal trainer until 2009.
In 2009, he decided to return to MMA and signed with Strikeforce. He had a record of 1-0 in the promotion. He won his first fight against Josh Barnett via TKO in round three. He lost his second fight against Frank Shamrock via submission in round four.
He returned to the UFC in 2012. He had a record of 4-0 in the promotion before losing to Anthony Johnson in August 2014.
He retired from fighting in 2015 and is now a commentator for Fox Sports. He is known for his trash talk and is often seen using profanity in interviews.
He has been involved in several controversies throughout his career. He was arrested in 2007 for domestic violence. He was charged with misdemeanor battery and felony false imprisonment. He pleaded no contest to the charges and received probation. In 2016, he was accused of assaulting his wife. She claimed that she was assaulted and bruised. He denied these claims.
4) Stipe Miocic
Stipe’s story goes back to his childhood in Croatia, where he grew up playing sports. He started training at age 11 and had already won many national championships before moving to the United States for college. After finishing college, he began competing professionally in MMA. He was first selected to compete in UFC competition after only 5 amateur fights, becoming one of their youngest champions ever at age 20. In 2014, he became the UFC heavyweight champion.
After winning the title, he decided to pursue a career outside of fighting so he could spend time with his family. Since then, he has been working as an actor, rapper, and model.
His net worth is estimated at $10 million, and is currently married to former WWE wrestler Kaitlyn.
3) Georges St-Pierre
Georges St-Pierre (born March 14, 1977) is a Canadian mixed martial artist who competes in the UFC’s welterweight division. He was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. His nickname is “Rush”.
St-Pierre holds notable victories over Matt Hughes, Carlos Condit, Thiago Alves, Robbie Lawler, Jake Shields, Rory MacDonald, Nick Diaz, Johny Hendricks, BJ Penn, B.J. Penn, Dan Hardy, Yoshihiro Akiyama, Takanori Gomi, Yushin Okami, Tarec Saffiedine, Josh Koscheck, and Nate Marquardt.
He is currently ranked 1 in the UFC welterweight rankings.
St-Pierre is widely considered to be one of the greatest fighters of his generation. In 2007, he won the ESPY Award for Best Fighter.
In 2011, Sports Illustrated named him the best fighter in MMA history. His record stands at 32 wins and 5 losses.
2) Jon Jones
Jon Jones was born on September 11th, 1984, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He attended high school at West High School, where he played football and ran track. In his freshman year, he joined the wrestling team. After graduating from high school, he went to college at Oklahoma State University. While attending college, he studied business management. His first collegiate fight was against Matt Lindland, who later became a UFC champion.
In 2006, Jones won the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship. That same year, he graduated from OSU with a degree in business administration. After graduation, he moved back home to Albuquerque, NM. Jones then started working at a local gym called American Kickboxing Academy (AKA). He worked there for two years before moving to Las Vegas, Nevada to work for Affliction Entertainment.
Jones has been ranked 1 in the world in the UFC Light Heavyweight division since December 2011. He has held the title twice, once from 2012-2013 and again from 2015-2016. Jones has had many accomplishments throughout his career. He has won 15 fights in a row. He has won 10 consecutive fights. He has won 13 straight fights via KO/TKO. He has won 12 straight fights via TKO/KO. He has won nine straight fights via submission. He has won eight straight fights via submission.
Jones has defeated some great fighters. He has beaten former champions like Rampage Jackson, Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, Shogun Rua, Frank Mir, Quinton Jackson, Rashad Evans, and Anderson Silva. Jones has faced some tough opponents. He has fought guys like Roy Nelson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Josh Barnett, Junior dos Santos, Lyoto Machida, Mauricio Rua, Phil Davis, Glover Teixeira, Daniel Cormier, Alexander Gustafsson, and Daniel Cormier.
Jones has been involved in some crazy situations. He has fought in front of over 80,000 people at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. He fought in the middle of the desert in California. He has fought in a cage surrounded by waterfalls in Brazil. He has fought in cages filled with broken glass in Japan. He has fought in arenas with no roof. He has fought in stadiums with 40,000 fans cheering him on.
Jones has been married to his wife, Janay Palmer, since 2010. They have three children together. Their oldest daughter is named Destiny Rose. Their second child is named Envy Jones. Their youngest son is named Gunner Jones.
Jones has been accused of sexual misconduct. In 2016, he was accused of sexually assaulting a woman while they were both under the influence of alcohol. Jones denied the allegations and said that the sex was consensual.
Jones has been involved with some controversial topics. He has been involved with anti-gay comments. He has been involved in racial issues. He has been involved in drug use. He has been involved in domestic abuse. He has been involved in money laundering. He has been involved in tax evasion. He has been involved in steroid use. He has been accused of rape. He has been accused multiple times of being racist.
Jones has been nominated for various awards. He has received four Fight of the Year nominations. He has received five Knockout of the Night nominations. He has received six Submission of the Night nominations.
Jones has been involved and helped with charity events. He has been involved and helped out with the Make-a-Wish Foundation. He has donated $100,000 to the foundation. He has donated $50,000 to the Make-a-wish Foundation. He has volunteered at the Make-a-Wish Foundation. He has raised money for the Make-a-Wishes Foundation. He has donated time to the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
1) Anderson Silva
Anderson Silva was born on August 14th, 1976, in São Paulo, Brazil. He holds dual citizenship with both Brazilian and American. At age 15, he started training at his brother’s gym in Rio de Janeiro, where he learned how to wrestle. He trained there until he turned 18 years old, then moved to New York City to train under Ray Longo. In 1993, Silva began his professional career and went undefeated for nearly 10 years before losing to Rich Franklin in 2001. After the loss to Franklin, he went on to win six fights straight. His first big fight came in 2002, where he defeated UFC legend Mirko Cro Cop, who had been the Pride middleweight champion only two months earlier. Since defeating Cro Cop, he has gone on to become one of the best fighters in MMA history.
Silva’s nickname is “The Spider.” He earned this name after he defeated Matt Serra by armbar submission. Throughout his career, he has won 19 out of 20 fights. According to the Nevada State Athletic Commission, he’s held 31 different titles throughout his career. One of his most recent victories was over Chris Weidman, winning via TKO. He currently sits at 8 in the pound-for-pound rankings.
Silva is well known for his trademarked left leg kick, called a front leg hook kick. In addition to being the king of leg kicks, he is also famous for his jiu-jitsu skills. During his early career, Silva would often use a submission hold that involved him wrapping his legs around his opponent’s waist while standing on top. In his later career, he switched to using a knee bar from the back mount position.
As a student in high school, Silva trained in taekwondo. He joined the military in 1991 and fought three times in the 1992 Olympic Games. When he returned home, he continued to study martial arts and became a black belt in Tang Soo Do. While training for the Olympics, he was offered a spot on the U.S. national judo team, and he accepted. However, he ultimately wanted to focus on MMA instead, and he did not compete in 2000.
In 2003, Silva signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He has since become the Middleweight Champion twice and the Light Heavyweight Champion once. In the past 20 years, the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) has become one of the world’s most popular sports leagues. It has been responsible for some of the biggest names in MMA (mixed martial arts) history, including Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey.
Though it is arguable which fighter is the greatest UFC fighter of all time, there can be no doubt that these ten fighters rank among the very best. They have all won multiple championships, competed in some of the biggest fights in history, and left an indelible mark on their respective industries.
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